Any difference in meaning?

LarryLatham · Post by **LarryLatham** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 8:32 am

All right, Stephen, I'll grant you that "finished with" is not the same as "finished". But you're acting like that's the only difference between the sentences. By way of reminder, they were (originally anyway):

1) Are you finished with your homework?

2) Have you finished your homework?

Your point stands. With in the first sentence makes a difference. But don't you think the difference in the verb phrase also makes a difference? After all, "with" could have appeared in sentence 2) as well. What is more, sentence 1) could not stand without "with", which indicates that there is some other difference between the sentences.

Larry Latham

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:20 am

Put 'with' in the second sentence and I challenge you to find a context where the two are not interchangeable.

LarryLatham · Post by **LarryLatham** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:39 pm

That is beside the point! Cow's milk and goat's milk are "interchangable" in that both taste good, are loaded with calcium, and are healthy drinks for growing children. But that does not mean that Cow's milk = Goat's milk.

Larry Latham

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 8:32 pm

LarryLatham wrote:That is beside the point! Cow's milk and goat's milk are "interchangable" in that both taste good, are loaded with calcium, and are healthy drinks for growing children. But that does not mean that Cow's milk = Goat's milk.

Larry Latham

Good point.

woodcutter · Post by **woodcutter** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 12:17 am

"Would you happen to have any cow's milk?"

"Yes, we do. We keep goats, you see."

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 12:50 am

woodcutter wrote:"Would you happen to have any cow's milk?"

"Yes, we do. We keep goats, you see."

And the goat's milk the cow's, right?

<Now there's an almost ambiguous sentence for ya!)